August 5th, 2009, 02:23 PM

WARNING: Ubuntu 8.04 / 8.10. The pips/AVASYS method seems to have a broken pips package, but the printer works perfectly. However, if you do an update or other install with Synaptic, it will try to fix whatever is broken and this will break your printer driver and your printer will no longer work. Be sure to uninstall your driver before doing any updates or installs with Synaptic, then reinstall. See post #2 for more details. You may also want to check out post #4 for an alternative driver.
****** Original Instructions begin here ******
We're going to use something called pips from AVASYS
This seems like a lot of steps, but its not, because I even included navigating the AVASYS website in the instructions which was probably not necessary. Basically, after downloading the file, the actual installation instructions begin at
step 7.
1.Go to AVASYS website at:
http://avasys.jp/hp/menu000000900/hpg000000859.htm
2. On the left, go to the menu 'Linux Drivers: download'
3. Don't read the page. On the left in the menu go to 'Download: inkjet'
4. Don't read the first part at the top, just scroll down till you get to the small bold heading:
Form for download
-- then select Epson Stylus S21/T21/T24/T27
5. Skip the pdf stuff and go to the questionnaire, answer the questions;
about your system (e.g. distribution: Ubuntu version: 8.04)
for Connection environment, if you are not sure, then you are probably not on a network so just choose: Print with local printer
for Location for the product choose: Individual (documents) or Individual (graphic/Image) --I did graphic/image
>> next >>
6. You are on the DOWNLOAD INKJET PRINTER page.
Scroll Down to 'Download Epson.. for Ubuntu'
Look down to 'Installation File' and download it (you don't want the source file below it)
(There is also a user manual below called UsersManual.en.txt, you may want to take a look at that but you probably won't need to, if you are a non-techie it might confuse you.)
when the download has finished, open the terminal (that little black computer screen icon under accessories that people use for typing in direct commands to Linux)
note: pay attention to where the file downloads. You can check by going to the download box that pops-up when downloading with FireFox, right click the file and choose 'open containing folder'. Now you know where your file is.
7. Make sure the printer is off and disconnected. If you have already tried unsuccessfully to get your printer to work, then go to system-->administration-->printing and delete any profiles of your printer that may already exist (they obviously don't work, so don't be afraid to delete them).
8.a. In terminal, change to the directory of your downloaded pips file, something like:
cd /home/myComputer/Desktop or maybe just:
cd /home/myComputer
8.b. follow the steps below. Use the file name you downloaded where appropriate (for this example it is pips-ss21-ubuntu8.04-3.7.0-CG.tgz).
$ sudo bash
# tar xfz pips-ss21-ubuntu8.04-3.7.0-CG.tgz
next, replace the 'tar xfz' in the previous command with './' and change the extension from .tgz to .install like the example below.
# ./pips-ss21-ubuntu8.04-3.7.0-CG.install
the computer will uncompress the file and then ask:
Installation will start.
Do you want to continue? (Yes/No): y
type y for yes
at this point a lot of things print, don't worry about it. The last thing you'll see is
<Enter>
hit enter.
Pips is finished.
Close your terminal.
9. Plug in and turn on your printer.
At this point the computer should automatically find and add the printer to your system (a yellow box pops up, says something like:'Epson Stylus T21 printer added').
10, Go to system-->administration-->printing. Click on the printer profile and print a test page and set as default if you like.